[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6186183,"mediaKeyId","5078074-5f64bc107a58a2017f765a1d5163c56e","parentId",5078074,"title","Board approves 3% administrative increase for general-assistance partners and raises income guideline to 100% of poverty","audioSeconds",2734,"startMs",1371000,"endMs",4105000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5078074-5f64bc107a58a2017f765a1d5163c56e&start=1371&end=4105","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5078074-5f64bc107a58a2017f765a1d5163c56e/thumbnail_1371000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6186183/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Board-approves-3-administrative-increase-for-general-assistance-partners-and-raises-income-guideline-to-100-of-poverty","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6186183-e570142763aca9d5ec978464b7662429/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137876&Signature=POjYHz9XWTmgx8niBRBQo2eHymHZNmzAPH335Owgcl9zvm~jiMr3MOc6pcW~yv7iqK78QrxWXJABZJjRdo1vJl4lWZpX1~uQKuaBKXJ1PMheg-zSSD0YBafeuihVAofH9LQXzhyAbNSCV2EBeL3WRh6w8YqPQ4wfEvUsVb1v9kXNZykcWbXGa6pOwAkUn9WVbri9WJBHDn2TGbmXOEcb5tAIVFeHxmNXR8yUOksD1GrvBU9Y8odxyVyVdvIqIEz~ip8kHPDDgEs5bGoOMWKi2zZQa9VCHghexdrIybvFfdFyT7aDpOihkzf2~M-Sw4lSojaerKWsEhOSA4m61CTzuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Black Hawk County, Iowa","date","2025-06-25T14:17:21Z","article","Colleen Shipper, general assistance coordinator, told the Board of Supervisors on June 24 that the county’s three general-assistance partner agencies will receive a 3% increase in administrative dollars under new agreements for fiscal year 2026 and that the agreements have been in place for more than two decades.

The board approved the resolution renewing those agreements and then voted to amend the county’s general-assistance policy to raise income eligibility to 100% of the federal poverty guidelines, effective July 1, 2025. Under the new guideline, a single-person household’s monthly income threshold will be $1,304.

\"We've been doing that for several years,\" Shipper said in support of the modest increase and of the county’s long-standing partnerships with Eastside Ministerial, Jesse Cosby Neighborhood Center and Operation Threshold. Board members praised the continuity and said the agencies are seeing increased demand.

Supervisors also discussed how recent state-level changes to behavioral-health funding may affect which agency pays for certain judicial or hospitalization-related costs; Shipper told the board she had budgeted for substance-abuse costs in case state contracts do not resume funding, noting uncertainty over who will assume those costs after July 1.

The motion to adopt the policy revision passed by voice vote with an affirmative roll call; supervisors indicated unanimous support during the meeting record.

Why it matters: General-assistance partners provide sheltering, energy assistance and crisis aid to eligible Black Hawk County residents. Raising the income guideline to 100% of poverty increases the pool of households that can qualify for county-funded help and formalizes a modest administrative boost for partner agencies.

What’s next: County staff will finalize agreements, circulate executed contracts and monitor demand under the new eligibility threshold.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors Meeting - 06-24-25","oneSentenceSummary","The Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on June 24 approved a 3% administrative increase for three long-standing general-assistance partner agencies and revised the county’s general-assistance policy to raise income eligibility to 100% of the federal poverty guidelines, effective July 1, 2025.","taxTitle","taxId",3693,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6186188,"Black Hawk County officials warn service gaps after state reorg of mental health regions",3478,97000,3575000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5078074-5f64bc107a58a2017f765a1d5163c56e&start=97&end=3575","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5078074-5f64bc107a58a2017f765a1d5163c56e/thumbnail_97000.jpg","/articles/6186188/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Black-Hawk-County-officials-warn-service-gaps-after-state-reorg-of-mental-health-regions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6186188-6dacf2041caddd28b86206d3453f7cce/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137876&Signature=bK9UnE31OEFB~U0XTKorh2unYjJ6T4zBXrta8dA94o~v2wDYo6hZQtqoAo~IGfEQ6~fgXWO-Z-mCy5zoixA9oG73p1s7v0dk9LtamECdc-a5wKS1Jgs2OduEB3NmNTjWKnDTtlwskgnsuRdiqaLOHJivlcYPfGaCATd3QQOcakN8XzPfLPd2ZQs0HfmETMe8tWNd444XflmjLDhSvqqYsX9eKlww5D12NiAKHx5uMIcGmY3kvjp0HdQIg5MBu4KmYpaYi1QWv0oU0Sib8-KBDuPozMAb4RSKktInh-GuZ~ZPXk9SEXznISVcWgCHA8Ymiw6FU-lu5c5NkGtpMWi~BA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mary, a county social services representative, told the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on June 24 that state legislation signed this year will \"sunset\" the current mental health and disability service regions effective June 30, and that intake and most behavioral-health and substance-use contacts will move to new regional contractors beginning July 1.

Mary said the East Central Region (disability access) and Iowa Primary Care Association (behavioral health and substance use) will be the points of contact for many services, and that local office-based coordinators at the Pinecrest Building will not be available after Friday. \"I was told that in the meeting with HHS. I have not seen that in writing,\" Mary said about assurances that current payments will continue through the end of the calendar year.

The county representative provided phone contacts that residents and providers can use: (319) 892-5671 for East Central Region-related disability access, ecriowa.com for the East Central Region web page, and the existing Your Life Iowa number for behavioral-health referrals, (855) 581-8111, with 988 reserved for crisis response.

Board members and legal and court representatives focused on the downstream effect this reorganization could have on court-ordered hospitalizations and the role known locally as the hospitalization (or judicial) referee. Brian Wade, Black Hawk County attorney, described the referee position as \"indispensable\" given the county's caseload and the way hearings are scheduled: \"This role is indispensable,\" Wade said, explaining that the county attorney's office supports petitioners and that hospital-referee hearings are currently conducted often Monday through Friday.

Diane Larson, who has served as the county's hospitalization referee for more than two decades, explained the operational role. \"It does tend to kind of grease things a little bit and get things moving,\" Larson said, describing how a dedicated referee helps hospitals, petitioners and courts by scheduling hearings, moving hearings when needed and chasing paperwork so care can proceed.

County staff and the board said they lack written guidance from the state about what services the new regional contractors will perform locally, whether local offices will be staffed beyond a possible occasional presence, and which contracts will be continued. Mary told supervisors about staff effects within county social services: \"About half my staff have found other jobs and half of us are going to be unemployed,\" she said, adding an estimate heard in regional conversations that \"approximately 200 people will be unemployed\" statewide because of the change.

Board members, county legal staff and court representatives said they will seek clarity this week and consider options at the board's next meeting, including whether the county should temporarily fund the referee position. Judge-related materials included a memo from the chief judge describing statutory authority and noting the county's historical involvement in these proceedings; county staff provided a rough budget estimate that retaining the referee position for fiscal 2026 could be in the ballpark of $60,000.

No formal board action was taken on June 24. Supervisors directed staff to continue gathering written confirmations from the state, to invite judicial leadership to the next meeting and to return with options that clarify legal authority and funding responsibilities.

Why it matters: Black Hawk County hosts two hospitals that receive involuntary hospitalization petitions from surrounding counties; changes to how and where hearings and intake are organized could delay hearings, change who pays for transportation and attorney fees, and affect whether local hospitals can rely on a single referee to keep hearings and discharges moving.

What’s next: County staff and legal counsel said they will pursue written confirmation from state agencies and regional contractors, update the board on any firm offers of contract funding, and place the referee and funding options on next week’s agenda so supervisors can consider formal direction.","Mary, a county social services representative, told the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors on June 24 that state legislation will dissolve existing mental health and disability service regions on June 30 and shift intake and payment duties to new regional contractors, leaving local staff and the county’s hospitalization-referee system in limbo.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":56,"_68":69,"_70":56,"_71":72,"_73":72},6186178,"Supervisors refine application language for $100,000 community-services grant pool; keep award flexibility",0,5293000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5078074-5f64bc107a58a2017f765a1d5163c56e&start=5293&end=5293","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5078074-5f64bc107a58a2017f765a1d5163c56e/thumbnail_5293000.jpg","/articles/6186178/Black-Hawk-County/Iowa/Supervisors-refine-application-language-for-100000-community-services-grant-pool-keep-award-flexibility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6186178-a79cc26cc96295478655769622c5f518/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137876&Signature=dj0KY3Mk8S~BefhKEA6knRt--Ena0-UBvSy2zZEa-Ozwe15lkvAYOaNF1wIAaatA17kWHUL21hmjZ8l2Hqr7ATIXhgstPuNh0Q5UAP64Y5-OPLj1xRBqxJAeE~79GyyjGlnRJqqgYwa-WB4eTAK0TonPayKWkkSeIvD2jnU83xrv9-ocxVA3GDTZK-u7khckVD4~MP6lbfZ3qbV5O9-nBPrcZv9BfUMEIx6-b1PdNdDTayWX284QJeTx-o8l3vTdHtU6eHUu0MnRH3pktZfZvMlqo3YFuW0MW1gxGQPQALZ8de1j~DeRpRU2z44HYvSgJgTSautUECMq00K6f9kglA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff and supervisors discussed edits to the Black Hawk County community-services funding application and evaluation rubric during the June 24 board meeting, with staff proposing clearer language about the pool size and application expectations and supervisors asking for flexibility on award sizes and improved prominence for ineligible items.

Michelle (county staff) said the draft packet now explains public purposes, requests disclosure of funding sources and encourages applicants to review the scoring rubric before applying. \"She felt it was important that we disclose to the public how much the pool of money is that they're requesting,\" staff said, noting that the draft left blanks for the final number but suggested a $100,000 planning figure while allowing discretion on award sizes.

Supervisors debated whether to cap individual awards and how prescreening should work. Some supervisors said they preferred not to hard-cap awards at a low number so the board retains the ability to fund larger, high-impact proposals. The board asked staff to make a few wording changes: add \"social\" when listing economic/community development impact (to read \"economic, community or social impact\"), make ineligible items (capital acquisitions/equipment) more prominent, and clarify that the application evaluation will use the provided scoring rubric. Staff said they will return a revised draft for final approval and aim to post the application shortly after board review so the application cycle can begin in early July.

Why it matters: The county's competitive community-services awards direct discretionary county dollars to local non-profits and programs. Clear application language and transparent scoring help applicants target requests and help the board evaluate requests consistently.

What’s next: Staff will incorporate the agreed edits, highlight ineligible items, attach the scoring rubric to the public application materials and return for final approval; the board indicated a desire to begin the application cycle in early July.","County staff presented edits to the county's community services grant application and evaluation criteria and supervisors directed modest wording and scoring changes while retaining flexibility on award sizes and final allocations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves 3% administrative increase for general-assistance partners and raises income guideline to 100% of poverty

Black Hawk County officials warn service gaps after state reorg of mental health regions

Supervisors refine application language for $100,000 community-services grant pool; keep award flexibility